Downy Mildew in Lisianthus: Occurrence Patterns and Control Methods

Lisianthus plants grow 30-100 cm tall. The leaves are opposite, broadly elliptic to lanceolate, nearly sessile, with the leaf base slightly clasping the stem; the leaf surface is blue-green. The stamens and pistils are prominent, the bracts are narrow and lanceolate, and the petals are arranged in overlapping fashion. Flower colors are rich, including solid and bicolor forms, with single and double petal types. However, lisianthus is often attacked by downy mildew, and many flower growers ask me what to do. Below, the editor introduces the occurrence patterns and control measures of lisianthus downy mildew.

I. Occurrence patterns of lisianthus downy mildew

The downy mildew pathogen prefers cool rather than very hot temperatures, occurring easily at nighttime temperatures of 8°C to 16°C, but it can occur at any temperature below 20°C. The growth of downy mildew is most closely related to high humidity or water, especially when a water film accumulates on the plant tissue surface for a long time, when it is extremely prone to occur. The formation of a water film is related to the dew point, so whenever the temperature is below the dew point temperature, there is a possibility of occurrence. Lisianthus downy mildew is more likely to occur on cloudy days or during continuous rainfall, so control should be carried out according to the weather forecast. According to experience in Taiwan, China, when the daily average temperature is below 17°C and rainfall continues for 3 days, lisianthus downy mildew is prone to occur. According to foreign research, the conditions for the occurrence of grape downy mildew in open-field cultivation are more than 10mm of rainfall in 24 hours and a temperature below 11°C, and the conditions for the germination of its oospores are a temperature above 8°C and the soil surface 1-2cm remaining moist for more than 16 hours. Rose downy mildew, however, can develop disease after the leaves are wet for more than 2 hours, and the incidence increases significantly after more than 10 hours. It can also occur when the temperature is as low as 5°C and the leaves are wet for more than 8 hours.

II. Integrated control of lisianthus downy mildew

1. Environmental control

For downy mildew, almost all lisianthus varieties lack resistance as hosts, and the pathogen can spread through water flow and air, so it can hardly be isolated. The best control method is to focus on environmental control to prevent disease, supplemented by spraying a small amount of protective fungicide. The microclimate in a greenhouse changes very dramatically over the course of a day. Regulation of temperature and humidity, such as heating, ventilation and cooling, is very important. In particular, heating at night to avoid low temperatures, high humidity and the formation of condensation on leaves is the key measure for controlling lisianthus downy mildew.

2. Horticultural control 

The main measures include formula fertilization and rational irrigation. Promptly remove infected leaves, diseased stems and diseased plants. Plant at a reasonable density, strengthen ventilation and light penetration, and reduce air and soil humidity especially during the bud and flowering stages. Flood irrigation, continuously moist soil, and difficulty in discharging moisture after watering before cloudy and rainy days often cause the rapid occurrence of downy mildew. Excessive nitrogen fertilizer and insufficient phosphorus and potassium fertilizer cause excessive vegetative growth of stems and leaves and dense plants, which also lowers host resistance and makes plants susceptible to downy mildew. When the disease occurs locally or in spots in a greenhouse, failure to promptly remove diseased leaves and improve ventilation can very easily cause secondary infection and a full-scale outbreak. When most lisianthus plants in the field have already been infected by downy mildew and show leaf yellowing and rot, chemical control is already less than ideal or has little effect, and when the cost is very high, consideration should be given to removing diseased plants, or keeping only the old basal stumps. Economic losses can be recovered through the next crop of production.

3. Healthy seedlings 

Research shows that lisianthus seeds may carry downy mildew spores. The seedling-raising period of lisianthus lasts nearly 3 months, and the plants are very dense before leaving the nursery. After lisianthus is infected with or carries downy mildew at the seedling stage, it can rapidly expand after planting, causing yellowing and growth stagnation of the seedlings. There is a saying in lisianthus cultivation that "seedlings are half the job," meaning that good seedlings mean half the success. Therefore, using healthy, disease-free seedlings is very important.

4. Chemical control 

The vast majority of chemicals are mainly used before disease onset and in the early stage of disease. In seasons prone to disease, spray a protective fungicide with no systemic action once every half month, such as mancozeb, chlorothalonil, zineb, etc. Lisianthus is relatively sensitive to fungicides, and continuous spraying of chlorothalonil and similar products can easily inhibit growth. According to foreign research, fosetyl-aluminum, azoxystrobin, propamocarb hydrochloride and metalaxyl-mancozeb are relatively safe for lisianthus. Others such as dimethomorph, hymexazol, chlorobromoisocyanuric acid, ridomil and Infinito can also be chosen. Systemic fungicides easily develop resistance, so the number of applications per season is limited and rotation of chemicals must be noted. The disease generally occurs on the underside of leaves, so when spraying, try to target the leaf underside, with fine, uniform droplets.

What are the methods for controlling flower pests?

As people's living standards improve, the building of green households is increasingly favored, and flower cultivation is becoming more and more widespread. But pest problems often occur in home flower growing. These pests not only affect the healthy growth of flowers and trees, but also hinder their ornamental value. How to prevent and control pests and diseases is a question often discussed by friends who love growing flowers.

Generally speaking, the environmental conditions suitable for the growth and survival of home-grown flowers also create conditions for the occurrence and spread of many pests and diseases. The timing of pest and disease occurrence first depends on temperature, while the severity of pest and disease damage depends mainly on humidity in addition to temperature. To prevent and control pests and diseases, one should grasp the principle of "prevention first," strengthen management, and pay attention to ventilation, light, watering, fertilizing and other maintenance work. This makes flowers and trees grow vigorously and enhances their own ability to resist pests and diseases. Once pest or disease damage is found, measures should be taken early, achieving "early treatment, small-scale treatment, complete treatment" to prevent spread. When necessary, use chemical control to inhibit and kill pests and diseases, eliminate the threat of pests and diseases, and ensure healthy growth of flowers.

Common pests of home flowers include: aphids, red spider mites, mosquitoes and flies (fungus gnats), thrips, scale insects, whiteflies, etc.; diseases include anthracnose, brown spot, soft rot, root rot (black stem disease), powdery mildew, etc.

The methods for controlling flower pests generally fall mainly into two types: hand-picking and chemical control.

1.    Hand-picking

For larger pests that are few in number, such as scarab beetles, scale insects, and larvae of Lepidoptera, capture and kill them promptly once found.

2.    Chemical control

That is, using the toxicity of chemicals to kill pests. According to the different mouthparts of pests, spray different types of chemicals. For pests with chewing mouthparts, such as scarab beetles and larvae of Lepidoptera, spray stomach-poison pesticides to kill them. For pests with piercing-sucking mouthparts, such as aphids, scale insects and whiteflies, spray systemic pesticides to kill them.
For soil pests, such as scarab larvae, white grubs, wireworms and nematodes, spray contact-poison pesticides into the soil.

Below is a general introduction to the control methods for several of the most common pests:

Common pests and harmful small animals and their control

I. Aphids

Damage characteristics: Aphids are small blue-yellow insects that harm almost all flowers and trees. Between spring and summer, they often gather densely on new shoots or flower buds of Chinese rose, pomegranate, oleander, chrysanthemum, etc., using their mouthparts to suck sap, causing young leaves to curl and shrink. In severe cases, they not only affect growth and flowering, but also cause plant leaves to curl, wither, and produce galls, and spread viral diseases. When aphids suck sap, they excrete a sticky liquid called honeydew that sticks to the leaf surface, attracting ants while also easily causing sooty mold. Aphids can produce 20-30 generations a year, and eggs can overwinter.

Flowers damaged: Wide host range, mainly damaging Chinese rose, pomegranate, oleander, chrysanthemum, carnation, chrysanthemum, cyclamen, hibiscus, redbud, poinsettia, cineraria and other flowers.

Control methods: When few occur, they can be squeezed with something and then rinsed clean with water; tobacco water (50x dilution) or soapy water can also be applied continuously several times. For chemical control, spray 25% derris extract 800-1000x dilution, 40% omethoate 2000x dilution, 3% natural pyrethrin 1000x dilution, and deltamethrin 2000-3000x dilution, etc., all of which can kill aphids well, with relatively ideal results.

II. Red spider mites

   Damage characteristics: Red spider mites are small and red, difficult to see with the naked eye. They often cluster on the undersides of leaves of flowers and plants, using piercing-sucking mouthparts to suck sap and damage the plants, causing yellow-white small spots on the leaves, which then turn gray-white, until the leaves scorch or fall off. They can produce more than 10 generations a year and often breed in high-temperature, low-humidity environments. Flowers damaged: Wide distribution, diverse feeding habits, almost all ornamental plants such as herbaceous, woody, cut flowers, potted flowers, etc. may be damaged. They often damage rhododendron, Chinese rose, salvia, crabapple, as well as Chinese juniper, kumquat, bitter orange, cactus, dragon juniper, etc., among which rhododendron and Chinese juniper are most severely damaged. They usually occur more in high-temperature, dry environments (such as indoors near sunny windows) and reproduce quickly.

Control methods: Remove weeds from pots and eliminate overwintering eggs. When few occur, remove severely infected leaves and rinse the leaves with water; improve ventilation conditions and lower the temperature; frequently spray more water around the plants to increase air humidity. For chemical control, use acaricides such as diafenthiuron, abamectin, pyridaben, fenpropathrin, amitraz, dicofol or omethoate 100x dilution for alternating foliar spraying in the early stage of red spider mite occurrence, once every week, spraying continuously 2-3 times.

III. Mosquitoes and flies (fungus gnats)

Damage characteristics: The main food of the larvae is saprophytic fungi that are plant pathogens, and the result of larval feeding is that plant pathogens can infect through the root system. Fungus gnat larvae feeding on flower roots reduces the ability of flower plants to absorb water and nutrients, causing slow and stunted plant growth. In addition, the feeding of fungus gnats can also cause flower Pythium rot, Phytophthora blight and black root rot.

Flowers damaged: Common in potted flower cultivation or herbaceous flower seedling production, such as poinsettia, cyclamen and pansy, etc.

Control methods: Chemical control, using Citation, Imidacloprid and abamectin and other chemicals through root drenching to prevent and control fungus gnat larvae.

IV. Thrips

Damage characteristics: Thrips are black or brown; common ones include flower thrips, tobacco thrips, yellow thrips and western flower thrips. The severe damage period is spring and summer. Thrips often rasp and suck sap on the undersides of young leaves and in flower organs, causing damaged leaves to curl, with yellow rasping marks appearing on the leaf mesophyll, and damaged leaves turning yellow, becoming brittle and falling off. Sometimes gray-white or brown spots appear on the petals, or discoloration and color change occur, affecting flower quality.

Flowers damaged: Anthurium, cyclamen, rose, carnation, lisianthus and many other flowers.

Control methods: Because they can develop resistance to many insecticides, integrated control using physical, chemical and biological methods is adopted in production. For chemical control, use Imidacloprid, lufenuron, Imidacloprid + Kung Fu, abamectin, spinosad and other chemicals alternately on a 5-7 day rotation for foliar spraying.

V. Scale insects

Damage characteristics: There are many species, mainly mealybugs, red wax scale, cottony cushion scale, brown soft scale, etc. It is one of the common pests of indoor foliage plants, occurring even more easily on woody foliage plants and coniferous plants. They mainly cluster and parasitize on the young stems and leaves of plants, inserting piercing-sucking mouthparts into plant tissues to suck sap. The wounds are highly susceptible to disease infection and can induce sooty mold. They have strong reproductive capacity and can reproduce for multiple generations a year when environmental conditions are suitable, so they can cause damage year-round in warmer regions.

Control methods: When few occur, manual control is usually used, that is, brushing off the insect bodies with a brush and then rinsing clean with water. Chemical control is best carried out at the peak hatching stage of nymphs before the waxy scale covering the insect body surface has formed, which makes it easier to kill the insects and improves the control effect. Chemicals can be selected such as isocarbophos 1000x dilution, 20% fenvalerate 1500-2000x dilution, 40% omethoate 800-1000x dilution, etc., spraying 2-3 times every week. If the occurrence is relatively severe, a combination of manual and chemical control should be used, that is, first brush off the insects with a brush, then spray the above chemicals, which gives a more ideal effect.

VI. Whiteflies

Damage characteristics: Widely distributed, damaging many flowers, occurring mostly on indoor foliage plants in greenhouses or plastic tunnels, especially in dry environments. The insect body is small and white; the mouthparts of adults and nymphs insert from the leaf underside to suck sap, causing leaves to turn yellow and wither. The wounds are highly susceptible to brown rot, and in severe cases cause plant death. At the same time, they excrete honeydew on the leaves and cause sooty mold.

Control methods: Spray 2.5% deltamethrin, 20% fenvalerate 1500-2000x dilution and pyrethroid pesticides to control nymphs, adults and eggs, generally spraying once a week, continuously 3-4 times.

VII. Nematodes and white grubs and other underground pests

Damage characteristics: These pests mainly bite and feed on plant roots and tender stems underground, or damage root bulbs, causing root and stem rot and plant death.

Control methods: Use steam or chemicals for soil disinfection to eliminate nematodes and other sources; mix food with trichlorfon and scatter it beside the seedlings or bury it beside the seedlings for trapping and killing; drench plants with 90% trichlorfon 1000x dilution; manual capture and killing.

VIII. Snails

Damage characteristics: They are small terrestrial mollusks, mostly living in year-round shady and damp environments. They like shade and moisture and fear dryness and strong light. They often damage the leaves, tender stems and roots of perennial herbaceous foliage plants, causing incomplete branches and leaves, affecting plant growth and ornamental value, or causing plant death.

Control methods: Scatter food mixed with trichlorfon in places where they are often active to trap and kill them; trichlorfon or deltamethrin 1500-2000x dilution can also be sprayed around the plants; 8% metaldehyde granules can be scattered on the soil surface around the roots to kill snails. In addition, pay attention to indoor cleanliness and hygiene, promptly remove dead branches and fallen leaves, and reduce their living space.

Here is an introduction to the general methods for preventing and controlling flower pests and diseases:

1. Maintain the environmental hygiene of flower cultivation sites, which can reduce damage. 

2. Protect plants, do not break the skin or cause injury, and guard against pathogen invasion. 

3. Pre-disinfect the growing medium, which can kill pathogens and pests. 

4. Strengthen daily management, keep water and fertilizer appropriate, air circulation good, temperature suitable, and light moderate, so that plants grow robustly and the breeding and spread of pests and diseases are controlled. 

5. For flowers overwintering outdoors, after leaf fall spray or apply lime sulfur mixture, and in early spring and before flower bud sprouting spray 1-3 times Bordeaux mixture to prevent pests and diseases. For damping-off disease, seedlings near the soil surface first appear scalded, then soften and fall over and die. Scattering plant ash on the pot soil surface or drenching with amobam solution can sterilize and protect seedlings. For rust disease in carnation and Rosaceae flowers, orange-red or yellow spots appear on the leaf surface in the early stage, and later the leaf underside is covered with yellow powder, and the leaves scorch. For anthracnose in ornamental fruit flowers, brown spots appear on the fruit skin before the fruit declines, gradually expanding, and after the fruit declines they harden. After flowers fade, spray 1-3 times with lime sulfur mixture or carbendazim. For powdery mildew in Rosaceae and Asteraceae flowers, white powder appears on both sides of the leaves; reduce humidity, spray amobam or carbendazim solution, and spray Bordeaux mixture for prevention. For downy mildew in herbaceous flowers, white spots with indistinct outlines appear on the leaf surface in the early stage, and later they are covered with white fine hairs; spray 1-3 times with Bordeaux mixture for prevention. For soft rot in herbaceous flowers, water-soaked spots appear on the leaf surface, petioles and flower stems, and later they wilt and droop; spray Bordeaux mixture. For brown streak disease in orchid family flowers, brown sunken spots appear on the leaf surface and the leaves dry and scorch; pay attention to shading and increase air humidity, and use equal-strength Bordeaux mixture. For black rust disease in Asteraceae flowers, yellow-green spots appear on the leaf surface in the early stage, and after rupturing they release yellow powder, finally becoming black patches. Strengthen drainage, provide sufficient sunlight, strengthen ventilation, and spray Bordeaux mixture. For sooty mold, dark brown sooty stains appear on the leaf surface of perennial evergreen flowers, and later gradually expand to form a black sooty mold layer; spray Bordeaux mixture, or use 5% alcohol to wipe off the sooty stains.

Below is an introduction to several commonly used methods for flower pest and disease control.

I. Tobacco has stomach-poison, contact-killing and fumigant effects. Because of its strong penetration, it can paralyze and kill pests. The method is to soak tobacco leaves, stems or leftover cigarette butts (with the filter removed) in 50-60 times their amount of water for a day and night, filter, and spray to control aphids, cotton red spider mites and newly hatched scale insects.

2. Essential balm: Dilute essential balm 600-800x and it can control aphids, scale insects and moth and butterfly larvae; 400-600x essential balm can control cotton red spider mites.

3. Mosquito incense: Hang lit mosquito incense on the flower plant and cover it with plastic film to fumigate for about 10 minutes, which can kill whitefly pests.

4. Soapy water: Take ordinary soapy water or use leftover soap scraps or thin slices, dissolve them in hot water, add water at a 1:60 ratio, and spray after cooling to control aphids and cotton red spider mites. If cigarette butts (with the ash removed) are soaked in the soapy water, besides improving control of aphids and red spider...
Washing powder solution: Take 2 grams of washing powder, add 500 grams of water, stir into a solution, add one drop of clear oil, and spray on the insect bodies on the plants. It can kill aphids, scale insects, cotton red spider mites, green nettle caterpillars, white butterflies, whiteflies, etc. Flowers with tuberous roots (such as peony and dahlia) or with bulbs (such as lily and Lycoris) as well as those with fleshy root systems are susceptible to nematode risk, and a 1000x diluted washing powder solution can also be poured around the plant roots.

Soap solution: Take soap and hot boiling water and dissolve them at a 1:50 ratio, then spray. Because soap can clog the respiratory organs of pests and kill them, it is effective against aphids and scale insects. Tobacco solution: Tobacco contains nicotine, which has a strong contact-killing effect on aphids, cotton red spider mites, ants and flies, and also has fumigant and stomach-poison effects. Take 20 grams of tobacco powder or cut tobacco, add 500 grams of water, soak for 24 hours, filter, then add 500 grams of 2% soapy water to the filtrate and spray on the leaf surface with pests; the filtrate can also be sprayed directly on the pot soil and around the pot bottom without adding soapy water to kill soil pests.

Garlic solution for treating powdery mildew and black spot of Chinese rose: Take 30 grams of garlic bulbs, mash them, add 500 grams of water, stir well, filter, and spray the filtrate on the leaf surface, once a day, continuously spraying 3-4 times. A brush or toothbrush can also be used to apply the garlic solution directly. Mashing garlic and scattering it in the pot soil can also kill earthworms, ants and flies and nematodes.

Scallion solution: Take 50 grams of scallion, mash into a paste, add 50 grams of water, soak for 12 hours, filter, and spray with the filtrate, multiple times a day, continuously spraying 3-4 days, to control aphids and other soft-bodied pests and powdery mildew.

   Fresh ginger solution   Take fresh ginger, mash into a paste, add 20 times its amount of water, soak for 12 hours, filter, and spray with the filtrate to control leaf spot, sooty mold, rot, black spot, etc. It can also control aphids, cotton red spider mites and leaf miners.

Sichuan pepper solution: Place 50 grams of Sichuan pepper and 500 grams of water in a pot, heat and boil down to 250 grams of liquid. When using, add 6-7 times water and spray to control whiteflies, aphids and scale insects.

Citrus peel solution  Take 50 grams of citrus peel, add 500 grams of water, soak for 24 hours, filter, and spray the filtrate on the leaf surface to control aphids, cotton red spider mites and leaf miners, and pour it into the soil to control nematodes. Alternatively, take 1 part citrus seeds, add 5 parts clean water, soak for 4-5 days, then place flower seeds in this liquid and soak for 10 minutes, which can control many pests.
       Bitter gourd leaf solution    Take 100-200 grams of bitter gourd leaves, add water, mash, add an equal amount of lime, stir evenly, and pour around the roots of plant seedlings to control cutworms.
        Tomato leaf solution     Mash 50 grams of fresh tomato leaves, add 150 grams of water, soak for 6 hours, filter, and spray with the filtrate to control aphids, cotton red spider mites, etc. It can also repel flies.

Chili solution: Take 50 grams of chili, add 10 times water, boil for 20 minutes, filter, and spray with the filtrate to control aphids, cotton red spider mites, stink bugs and other pests; pouring it into the soil can control cutworms.

Castor leaf powder: Dry castor leaves and stems in the sun, grind into powder, and apply into the soil to control white grubs.

Oleander solution: Chop 50 grams of oleander branches and leaves, add 100 grams of clean water, boil for 20-30 minutes, remove the residue, take the clear liquid and spray to control aphids and whiteflies, and pour it into the soil to control nematodes. But note that oleander is highly toxic, so guard against accidental ingestion by people and livestock.

Rice vinegar solution: Rice vinegar contains rich organic acids and has a good inhibitory effect on pathogens. Spray a 150-200x diluted rice vinegar solution on the leaf surface, once every 7 days or so, continuously spraying 3-4 times, to control powdery mildew, black spot, downy mildew, etc.

Baking soda solution: Take 5 grams of baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, first dissolve it with a small amount of alcohol, then add about 1000 grams of water to make a 0.5% concentration solution and spray the plants to control powdery mildew.

Mosquito incense: After lighting mosquito incense, hang it on plants with pests, cover the plant and flower pot with a plastic bag, and after 1 hour the pests are killed. Essential balm: Essential balm diluted 400-500x with water can kill aphids. Mothballs: After crushing mothballs and placing them in the pot soil, underground pests can be controlled.

Potassium permanganate, commonly known as gray manganese oxygen: Potassium permanganate solution can control flower powdery mildew. In the initial period of disease onset, spray a 0.1%-0.2% solution once every 7 days or so, continuously spraying 2-3 times, and the effect can reach more than 92%. Note not to touch the solid potassium permanganate directly with your hands.

Common insecticides, common fungicides

Common insecticides I. Trichlorfon is a highly effective and low-toxicity organophosphorus preparation with a strong stomach-poison effect on pests and also a contact-killing effect. It kills quickly, with a field efficacy period of 4-5 days. Commonly use a 1000-1500x dilution of the original liquid for spraying to control rose sawfly, large bagworm, Atractomorpha sinensis, cotton leaf roller, inchworm, leafhopper, cutworm and other pests. Trichlorfon must not be mixed with alkaline chemicals.

2. Dichlorvos is a highly effective and low-toxicity organophosphorus preparation with strong contact-killing, fumigant and stomach-poison effects. It has a wide insecticidal range, is fast-acting, has a short efficacy period and low residual toxicity. Commonly use 50% emulsifiable concentrate 1000x dilution or 80% emulsifiable concentrate 1500x dilution for spraying to control whiteflies, spider mites, green plant bugs, aphids, scale insects, pomegranate fruit moths and other pests. Note that it must not be mixed with alkaline chemicals. Dichlorvos emulsifiable concentrate volatilizes easily, so after taking the chemical, the bottle cap must be tightly closed. At high concentrations it can easily cause phytotoxicity to cherry blossoms and plum blossoms.

3. Omethoate has contact-killing, systemic and stomach-poison effects and can control many pests with piercing-sucking and chewing mouthparts. Its acute oral toxicity to humans and livestock is relatively high. Commonly use 40% emulsifiable concentrate 1000-1500x dilution for spraying to control scale insects, aphids, whiteflies, cinnabar spider mites, green plant bugs, thrips, leafhoppers, citrus leafminer and other pests. It must not be mixed with alkaline chemicals.

4. Dimethoate is a highly effective and low-toxicity broad-spectrum organophosphorus pesticide with contact-killing, systemic and stomach-poison effects. Generally use 40% emulsifiable concentrate 1000-1500x dilution or 60% wettable powder 3000-5000x dilution for spraying to control aphids, cotton red spider mites, leafhoppers, leafminer moths, whiteflies and other pests. It can also be used by adding 20-40 grams of water to 1 gram of chemical and then mixing with 400-500 grams of seed to control mole crickets and other underground pests. Plum blossoms and cherry blossoms are sensitive to dimethoate and should be used with caution. It must not be mixed with alkaline chemicals.

V. Malathion has contact-killing, stomach-poison and fumigant effects. It has high efficacy, a wide insecticidal range, and a residual period of generally about one week. It has low toxicity to humans and livestock and is relatively safe. Commonly use 50% emulsifiable concentrate 1000-2000x dilution for spraying to control aphids, cotton red spider mites, leafhoppers, thrips, scale insects, scarab beetles and other pests. Malathion has relatively poor stability and its efficacy period is not very long. It must not be mixed with alkaline or strongly acidic pesticides.

6. Monocrotophos has a strong contact-killing effect and also systemic and stomach-poison effects. It has a wide insecticidal range and an efficacy period of about one week. It has relatively high toxicity to humans and livestock. Commonly use 50% emulsifiable concentrate 2000-4000x dilution for spraying to control aphids, cotton red spider mites, leafhoppers, thrips, green plant bugs and other pests. It must not be mixed with alkaline pesticides.

7. Fenitrothion is a broad-spectrum insecticide with contact-killing and stomach-poison effects and can kill boring pests. Its efficacy generally lasts 3-4 days. Generally use 50% emulsifiable concentrate 1000-2000x dilution to control aphids, nettle caterpillars, leafhoppers, fruit borers, scale insects, thrips, spider mites and other pests. It can also be used as a 2% powder for dusting, generally at 1-3 grams per square meter. It easily causes phytotoxicity to cruciferous plants. It must not be mixed with alkaline pesticides.

8. Deltamethrin has strong contact-killing and stomach-poison effects. Its efficacy period is long, up to several months. It has relatively high toxicity to the skin. Commonly use 2.5% emulsifiable concentrate 3000-8000x dilution for spraying to control nettle caterpillars, green moths, cotton leaf roller, cutworm, thrips, leafhoppers, etc.

IX. Tetradifon is an acaricide containing organochlorine. It has a strong contact-killing effect and has the effect of killing young mites and eggs. It can disrupt the physiological functions of adult mites so that they cannot reproduce. Its residual period can reach about 1 month. Commonly use 20% wettable powder 800-****x dilution or 50% wettable powder 1500-2000x dilution for spraying to control mite pests.

10. Dicofol has a very strong contact-killing effect and acts quickly. It is effective against mite eggs, larvae, nymphs and adults. Its residual period is 10-20 days. Commonly use 20% emulsifiable concentrate 600-1000x dilution or 40% emulsifiable concentrate 1000-1500x dilution for spraying to control various mites. It must not be mixed with alkaline pesticides.

11. Carbofuran is a broad-spectrum insecticide with low residual toxicity. It has systemic action and a certain contact-killing effect and can control insects with chewing and piercing-sucking mouthparts and nematodes. Commonly use 3%, 5%, 10% granules and 75% wettable powder to control nematodes, scale insects, mites, leafhoppers, striped stem borers, nettle caterpillars, aphids, thrips and other pests. It must not be mixed with alkaline pesticides.

12. Rosin mixture is a dark brown liquid made by boiling rosin and caustic soda. It is strongly alkaline and has a contact-killing effect. It is often sprayed at 8-12x dilution during winter dormancy or 10-18x dilution during the growing season to control scale insects, whiteflies, cotton red spider mites and other pests. It must not be mixed with alkaline-sensitive pesticides or calcium-containing pesticides.

13. Metolcarb has contact-killing, systemic and fumigant effects and acts quickly. Its efficacy generally lasts only 2-3 days. Commonly use 25% wettable powder 200-400x dilution or 20% emulsifiable concentrate 1000-1500x dilution for spraying to control leafhoppers, aphids, whiteflies, scale insects and other pests. It must not be mixed with alkaline pesticides.

Common fungicides

I. Bordeaux mixture is a good protective fungicide made from copper sulfate, quicklime and water. According to the difference in amounts of copper sulfate and quicklime, it can be divided into equal-strength 1:1, half-strength 1:0.5, high-strength 1:3 and double-strength 1:2 and several other types. When preparing, first dissolve copper sulfate and quicklime separately in half the water, then pour the copper sulfate into the quicklime solution and stir evenly with a stick. The prepared Bordeaux mixture is a sky-blue colloidal suspension, alkaline, with strong adhesion, and can form a film on the plant surface. Its effective period can be maintained for about half a month. Bordeaux mixture does not store well and must be prepared and used immediately. It must not be mixed with alkaline-sensitive pesticides. It can control black spot, rust, downy mildew, gray spot and many other diseases.

II. Lime sulfur mixture is also a protective fungicide, made by boiling quicklime, sulfur powder and water in a ratio of 1:2:10. The original liquid is a dark reddish-brown transparent liquid with a rotten egg smell, alkaline. When preparing, first bring the water to a boil in a pot, add 1 part quicklime, and after the lime dissolves, add 2 parts sulfur powder first mixed into a paste with a small amount of water, stirring while adding. After adding, boil over high heat for about 1 hour, and when the liquid turns reddish-brown, stop the fire. After cooling, filter out the sediment, and this is the lime sulfur mixture original liquid. Its Baume degree is generally 20-24. The original liquid must be diluted before use. For dormant-season spraying, use 3-5 degrees Baume, and during the growing period only a 0.3-0.5 degree Baume dilution can be used. It can control powdery mildew, rust, downy mildew, shot hole disease, leaf spot and many other diseases, and can also control whiteflies, spider mites, scale insects and other pests.

III. Chlorothalonil has protective and therapeutic effects, a broad fungicidal range and a long residual period. It is irritating to the skin and mucous membranes. Commonly use 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder 600-1000x dilution for spraying to control

Expert commentary on the July market for major cut flower varieties

Lilies: Volume down, prices fall, partial rebound

Entering July, various lily production areas reduced their flower output, and lily prices in fresh cut flower wholesale markets around the country performed differently, with both rises and falls.

In the Kunming market, apart from 'Yellow Diamond' whose price rebounded due to reduced production, wholesale prices of other varieties fell to varying degrees. Multi-head 'Yellow Diamond' was 65 to 70 yuan per bunch, 3-head was 45 to 50 yuan per bunch, 2-head was 35 to 40 yuan per bunch, and single-head was 18 to 20 yuan, with the average price up by more than ten yuan from last month. In contrast, the average prices of 'Siberia' and 'Sorbonne' fell by more than ten yuan. The wholesale prices of the two were not very different, with multi-head products at 25 to 30 yuan per bunch, and single-head and double-head at about 10 yuan per bunch. 'Tiber' also saw a relatively large wholesale price decline, with multi-head products falling from the previous 40 yuan per bunch to twenty or thirty yuan, and double-head at only 13 to 15 yuan per bunch. 'Robina' single-head products had a wholesale price of 11 yuan per bunch, double-head 16 to 20 yuan per bunch, 3-head 26 to 30 yuan, and multi-head 45 to 50 yuan. Industry insiders said they were relatively optimistic about the lily market in August. The price of 'Sorbonne' would rebound in the coming days, and multi-head products might rise to more than 60 yuan per bunch, or even higher, while the price of 'Siberia' would also double later.

In the Lingyuan market, lily market volume dropped sharply in July. Due to hot weather, quality was also poor, shown by small buds. Most of the products on the market were second-crop flowers, and the overall lily price was below 20 yuan per bunch. 'Siberia' with more than 3 heads was 20 yuan per bunch, and double-head was seven or eight yuan per bunch. 'Sorbonne' with more than 3 heads was fifteen or sixteen yuan per bunch, and double-head was seven or eight yuan per bunch. Multi-head 'Wooden Door' was eleven or twelve yuan per bunch, and double-head was 3 to 5 yuan per bunch. Multi-head 'Eye-catching' was five or six yuan per bunch. Wholesalers said that in mid-August, bulbs planted in the first half of the year would enter the flowering stage, with better quality, and prices would rebound at that time.

In the Shanghai market, lily sales performed counter to the trend, with prices of all products rising to varying degrees compared with June. The average prices of mainstream products 'Siberia' and 'Sorbonne' rose by 5 to 8 yuan per bunch compared with last month. Among them, multi-head 'Siberia' was 35 to 50 yuan per bunch depending on bud size, double-head was 15 to 20 yuan, and single-head was 10 to 12 yuan; multi-head 'Sorbonne' was 40 to 45 yuan per bunch, and 3-head was 18 to 20 yuan. The price increase was because lily production areas such as Haining and Zhangjiagang had no finished flower supply recently, and the few products on the market were also poor in quality due to rain and high temperatures. As in the Kunming market, 'Yellow Diamond' had the largest price increase in the Shanghai market this month, with multi-head products at 50 to 55 yuan per bunch, while the selling price in June was only thirty or forty yuan per bunch. It is understood that the main reason for this phenomenon was that there were relatively few yellow flowers on the market, and 'Yellow Diamond' was out of stock nationwide, making it hard for wholesalers to find goods, so the price climbed day by day.

Commentators: Xu Guolin, Sales Director of the South China Region, Sino (Beijing) Flower Seed Industry Co., Ltd.

Wang Fenglai, Liaoning Lingyuan Flower Technical Service Department; Jiang Haitao, Shanghai Yuechen Flower Trading Firm

Chinese roses: Prices fell early and rebounded later

Because many regions nationwide had heavy to torrential rain in July, and temperatures rose after entering midsummer, the quality of Kunming-produced Chinese rose cut flowers could not improve, and the proportion of Grade A flowers on the market was very low, making the overall market very weak. At present, although the market volume of Yunnan Chinese roses in July was about 5% more than in June, prices fell a lot compared with June, with a decline of 40% to 50%. Apart from the weak consumer market caused by floods and waterlogging in various places, the hot and rainy weather in July made greenhouse humidity in Chinese rose cut flower production areas very high, with more pests and diseases, and flower heads prone to rot and withering, which brought great difficulty to the post-purchase care work of flower shops, so they did not dare to stock large quantities. However, with the arrival of festivals such as the Qixi Valentine's Day, Chinese rose prices began to rebound at the end of this month, and sales also rose substantially.

In the Kunming Dounan market, the average price of the mainstream red variety 'Carola' was 8 yuan per bunch, among which Grade A products were about 14 yuan per bunch, much higher than in the first half of the month, but the total market volume was very small, less than 15%; Grade B products were eight or nine yuan per bunch; domestic market consumption was mainly Grade C flowers, accounting for 50% of the total market, at 4 to 6 yuan per bunch. In comparison, the prices of mixed-color Chinese roses rose relatively more and had basically recovered to June levels. Among them, Grade A products of varieties such as 'Findra' and 'Maria' had average prices above 30 yuan per bunch, and some could even reach above 40 yuan per bunch; Grade B products averaged about 25 yuan per bunch; Grade C products could only sell for about 8 yuan per bunch.

At the Kunming International Flower Auction and Trading Center, the overall auction average price of Chinese roses on July 27 was 0.3 yuan per stem, but the average price of products from many companies could reach more than 0.5 yuan per stem. After the weather turned hotter, light-colored Chinese rose prices rose quickly, standing at an upper-middle level in the overall market. For example, good-quality 'Tineke' and 'Snow Mountain' could reach a wholesale price of 1.2 to 1.3 yuan per stem.

The Guangzhou Lingnan Flower Market was dominated by varieties such as 'Carola' and 'Jiuling', and the market volume of 'Red Cardinal' decreased compared with June. Because a large part of Chinese rose cut flowers from Shenzhen, Hong Kong, China and other places circulate through the Lingnan market, Kunming-produced Chinese rose cut flowers had large sales in the Guangzhou market. High-quality products currently could reach an average wholesale price of 0.9 yuan per stem, 0.2 yuan higher than in Kunming locally.

After entering August, as rainfall decreases, the quality of Chinese rose cut flowers will improve. It is expected that before Qixi Valentine's Day, Chinese rose prices will still rise, and eventually reach about twice the price of early to mid-July. After that, Teachers' Day and Mid-Autumn Festival will follow one after another, and prices will not show a major decline.

Commentators: Xie Yaorong, General Manager of Kunming Hongri Flower Co., Ltd.

Wang Yanxin, Sales Manager of Yunnan Lidou Flower Development Co., Ltd.

Gerbera: Oversupply leads to price decline

Gerbera cut flower production increased in all production areas, but because the market entered the off-season for consumption, demand declined, causing flower prices to be somewhat lower than in June.

In July in previous years, Kunming gerbera entered the peak period for seedling replacement, but because prices were relatively good in the same period last year, growers generally delayed seedling replacement, and the flower volume on the market was still relatively large. However, demand had already decreased, so prices dropped slightly. The average price of gerbera on the market was 0.15 yuan per stem, among which the red 'Tropical Prairie' sold highest, at about 0.18 yuan per stem on average. The orange variety 'Firewalker' had a wholesale price of 0.11 yuan per stem, and pink 'Rosabel' was about 0.09 yuan per stem. In addition, medium-quality 'Honey' had a wholesale price of 0.16 yuan per stem, 'Golden Sun' 0.15 yuan per stem, 'Dolly' 0.17 yuan per stem, and 'Linglong' 0.12 yuan per stem. Wholesalers expected that after entering August, because gerbera prices were sluggish, growers would gradually begin replacing seedlings, and prices would rebound somewhat. But it should be noted that gerbera seedling sales in the first half of the year were very good, with farmers rushing to buy, causing prices to climb all the way, with unit prices even exceeding 1.5 yuan. This may lead to oversupply of gerbera cut flowers in the second half of the year, and prices are worrying.

This month, gerbera wholesale prices in Linyi, Shandong, declined somewhat, falling from three or four yuan per bunch last month to two or three yuan. The main factor was a clear drop in demand this month, truly entering the off-season for sales. At present, products on the market were still mainly flowers from old seedlings, with flower diameter of six or seven cm and stem length of seventy or eighty cm, among which the three varieties 'Linglong', 'Shuifen' and 'Daxueju' accounted for 60%. New seedlings planted in spring had gradually begun to flower, with flower diameter of about 10 cm and stem length of forty or fifty cm. In August, the flower output of new seedlings will increase substantially, and distributors hope the market will improve somewhat.

Gerbera prices in the Guangzhou market were relatively stable. Locally produced gerbera was about 0.4 yuan per stem, and Kunming goods were 0.65 to 0.75 yuan per stem, but due to the rainy season, the proportion of good-quality products was relatively small.

Commentator: Li Qimeng, wholesaler at Kunming Dounan Flower Market

Xiao Xia, Sales Supervisor of Kunming Dounan Qingyi Flowers; Huang Yongfu, Guangzhou Huihuang Flowers

Herbaceous cut flowers: Few high-quality lisianthus products

Among all cut flower varieties, the herbaceous cut flower market was relatively stable. This year's abnormal climate increased the probability of lisianthus being infected by pests and diseases, so there were currently very few high-quality products on the market.

Since the beginning of this year, Kunming's climate has been relatively unusual, and combined with the later rainy season, many lisianthus plants were infected with downy mildew, gray mold, fungi and other diseases, resulting in a very small market volume of high-quality products. Ordinary-quality purple-edged lisianthus sold fastest, with a wholesale price of about 12 yuan per bunch, and pink-edged products were similar. Green and champagne-colored lisianthus had relatively cheap wholesale prices, about 9 yuan per bunch. Pure purple products could sell for 10 yuan per bunch at wholesale, and white products had a higher price, 15 yuan per bunch. Wholesalers said that lisianthus is no longer only used in bouquets, but is also gradually being used in weddings and flower baskets, so with the arrival of Qixi Valentine's Day, its price is expected to rise. In the export market, because more farmers grew lisianthus this year, supply exceeded demand, so prices declined somewhat, with a wholesale price of about 28 yuan per bunch. Snapdragon had a wholesale price of 8 to 11 yuan per bunch, good-quality delphinium 4.5 to 5 yuan per stem, gypsophila 14 to 16 yuan per bunch, and stock about 10 yuan per bunch. Cockscomb was 5 to 8 yuan per bunch. Sunflowers with a stem length of 1.5 m and half-open flower diameter reaching five or six cm had a wholesale price of 1.5 to 2 yuan per stem.

In July, snapdragon supply in the Beijing market was relatively small, with a wholesale price of about 10 yuan per bunch. Delphinium had a relatively good market, with products having a stem length of eighty or ninety cm reaching a wholesale price as high as 6 yuan per stem. In the Guangzhou market, snapdragon had a wholesale price of fifteen or sixteen yuan per bunch, and delphinium about 5 yuan per stem. Lisianthus had a wholesale price of 28 yuan per bunch, and mixed-color products averaged one or two yuan lower. Cockscomb market volume was relatively small, with a wholesale price of about 2 yuan per stem. Sunflowers with a stem length of about one meter and flower diameter of 8 to 10 cm currently had a wholesale price of 1.5 to 2 yuan per stem.

Commentator: Xiong Shangkun, Kunming Lishen Xinyuan Flower Co., Ltd.

Yang Yun, Kunming Qianhui Seedling Co., Ltd.; Yao Jiayong, Beijing Laitai fresh cut flower wholesaler

Cut foliage: High temperatures make lucky bamboo quality slightly inferior

July entered the off-season for flower consumption, and the cut foliage market generally ran lower than in June. Lucky bamboo, which home consumers relatively favor, had somewhat poorer quality during this period, and prices also declined somewhat compared with the same period in previous years.

In June, Hainan continued to have high temperatures, staying above 35°C, and for one week even continuing at 38°C to 39°C. Lucky bamboo with relatively shallow root systems suffered from insufficient water supply, causing dry leaf tips and reducing ornamental value. At present, locally in Hainan, 75 cm long lucky bamboo had a wholesale price of 4 yuan per bunch, products with stem length of 60 to 75 cm had a wholesale price of 3 yuan per bunch, and products with stem length of fifty or sixty cm were 2 yuan per bunch. In July, the rainy season arrived, and the growing environment for lucky bamboo improved somewhat. Wholesalers expected prices to rebound somewhat in September. Overall, the wholesale prices of all Hainan cut foliage fell by about 10% compared with June. The products with relatively large market movement were areca palm, Brazilian leaf, turtle back leaf, fish tail leaf and sword leaf. Areca palm was divided into 3 specifications: 60 cm long at 1.3 yuan per bunch wholesale, 80 cm long at 2 yuan per bunch, and 1.1 m long at 3 yuan per bunch. Brazilian leaf had a wholesale price of 0.45 to 0.6 yuan per bunch according to length. Turtle back leaf had a wholesale price of one or two yuan per bunch according to leaf size. Fish tail leaf with stem length of 50 cm had a wholesale price of 0.5 yuan per bunch, and those longer than 70 cm were 0.65 yuan per bunch. Sword leaf had a wholesale price of 0.8 yuan per bunch. In addition, asparagus fern, angel leaf, spring rain leaf, cycad leaf, holly fern and needle palm leaf had wholesale prices of 3 yuan, 1.5 yuan, 2.5 yuan, 2 yuan, 5 yuan and two or three yuan respectively.

Cut foliage prices in the Shanghai market changed little compared with June, but sales volume decreased noticeably, especially lucky bamboo. Wholesalers analyzed that apart from the impact of declining product quality, hot weather was also a major factor. In this season, most consumers choose to go out less, and lucky bamboo, which was previously favored by home consumers, was also cast into the "cold palace." In the market, lucky bamboo had a wholesale price of only 6 yuan per bunch, but moved very little. Brazilian leaf and areca palm, because of their wide uses, can be used both in flower arrangements and venue decoration, so their July sales were relatively the best. Among them, Brazilian leaf had a wholesale price of 1.5 yuan per bunch, and areca palm 2 to 4 yuan per bunch according to leaf size. Pittosporum leaf unique to the Jiangsu-Zhejiang area had a decent price, about 1 yuan per bunch wholesale.

The cut foliage market in Kunming also did not change much this month. Fish tail leaf had a wholesale price of 1.2 yuan per bunch, and Brazilian leaf about 2 yuan per bunch. Areca palm, depending on specification, had a wholesale price of 3 to 5 yuan per bunch. Sword leaf with stem length of 50 to 100 cm had a wholesale price of 1.5 to 4 yuan per bunch. Ivy had a wholesale price of seven or eight yuan per stem. Asparagus fern with stem length of 20 to 60 cm had a wholesale price of 6 to 15 yuan per bunch. Fatsia japonica had a wholesale price of four or five yuan per bunch, and turtle back leaf five or six yuan per bunch.

Commentator: Zhang Jiming, Sales Department Manager of Hainan Daxin Landscape Co., Ltd.

Yu Changbing, foliage material wholesaler at Shanghai Caojiadu Flower Market

Xiao Xia, Sales Supervisor of Kunming Dounan Qingyi Flowers

Carnations: Prices stable with a tendency to improve

Compared with June, the Kunming carnation market improved noticeably in July, showing a good situation of both volume and price rising, especially with relatively fast export growth. Some large producers in Kunming exported more than one million stems of carnations to Japan, invisibly driving carnation sales.

However, prices of red varieties in the Kunming Dounan Flower Market were still not ideal. For example, the mainstream variety 'Master' with relatively good quality was only about 0.2 yuan per stem. The main reason red varieties had lower prices was that farmers were not very careful in management during this period, resulting in slender branches and small flower heads, with quality not reaching standard. Other colored products had higher prices. For example, 'Pretty Bride', 'Rouge' and 'Red Lover' with relatively good quality could reach a wholesale price of 0.4 yuan per stem, and export products were 0.55 to 0.6 yuan per stem. Spray carnations sold better than standard carnations. For example, the relatively good-quality pink spray variety 'Barbara' reached an export price of 0.6 yuan per stem. In addition, the green variety 'Green Lady' and white variety 'Snow White', which were relatively tight in the export market, still had higher prices, among which 'Green Lady' was about 0.6 yuan per stem, and 'Snow White' reached 0.7 yuan. Domestic demand was mainly for red and pink varieties, and varieties such as 'Red Lover', 'Flame' and 'Fendai' were 0.2 to 0.3 yuan per stem.

In terms of seedlings, because the sales peak had passed, seedling prices had currently declined somewhat, at about 0.2 yuan per plant, 0.1 yuan lower than the average price in June. Compared with previous years, seedling prices were still decent, and products with slightly poorer quality could still sell for about 0.18 yuan per plant. Seedling traders said that because large enterprises invested in seedling equipment and technology, and also used imported mother stock, their quality was much higher than that of small workshop-style propagators, so the current seedling market was very polarized. High-quality brand seedlings were in short supply, while small growers' seedlings were hard to sell.

Distributors said that after Qixi Valentine's Day, carnation prices might fall slightly, and the market volume in September and October would be more than double the current amount, so prices should continue to decline.

Commentator: Xie Yaorong, General Manager of Kunming Hongri Flower Co., Ltd.

Zhou Peisheng, General Manager of Sichuan Xichang Tianxi Horticulture Co., Ltd.

Filler flowers: Market performs well except for solidago

In July, in the main filler flower production areas, apart from solidago, which had a poor market, the market volume of other products decreased compared with the same period in previous years, causing prices to double. The most obvious performers were baby's breath and forget-me-not.

In the Kunming market, baby's breath reached a wholesale price of 20 yuan per kilogram. Although this was more than ten yuan lower than the June price, it was more than double the seven or eight yuan per kilogram in the same period of previous years. Not only did baby's breath have a relatively good market, but forget-me-not, which last year could not be sold even at a few mao per kilogram, reached eight or nine yuan this year. Although the rainy season caused some decline in product quality, the market had maintained a high level. Wholesalers analyzed the reasons: originally, flower farmers growing baby's breath and forget-me-not were mostly distributed near Dianchi Lake, but due to its renovation and the construction of Kunming New City and other factors, these flower farmers lost their growing bases, and some had stopped production. In addition, the impact of this year's dry climate led to a clear decline in the market volume of baby's breath and forget-me-not, and prices rebounded. However, solidago's market performance was not good. Apart from Kunyang in Jinning, it is grown more or less all over the country and can meet the needs of local or surrounding markets, so the amount of solidago purchased from Kunming by other places was relatively small, creating a situation of oversupply. Good-quality solidago on the market had a wholesale price of 2 to 2.5 yuan per bunch, and poor-quality was below 1 yuan per bunch. In addition, although demand decreased, because the decline in market volume was greater, the wholesale price of Limonium per kilogram rose by 2 yuan compared with June, reaching about 18 yuan. Fire dragon bead prices were relatively stable, at 5 to 10 yuan per bunch. Hydrangea, depending on color, had a wholesale price of 8 to 13 yuan per stem, with white being the cheapest, and light blue and light pink relatively more expensive. Wholesalers expected that with the arrival of Qixi Valentine's Day, the prices of filler flowers such as baby's breath, forget-me-not and Limonium would rise in August, possibly by three or four yuan per kilogram.

In the Guangzhou market, solidago prices were also very sluggish, with a wholesale price of only three or four mao per bunch of 10 stems, mainly locally produced. Other filler flowers such as baby's breath and Limonium came from Kunming, so their market was relatively better. Baby's breath had a wholesale price of 40 yuan per kilogram, Limonium more than 20 yuan per kilogram, forget-me-not twelve or thirteen yuan per kilogram, and fire dragon bead 10 to 12 yuan per bunch. Trachymene was rarely available on the market. Pure white, purple and pink hydrangea were about 10 yuan per stem, but light blue hydrangea could sell for fourteen or fifteen yuan per stem.

Commentator: Li Qimeng, wholesaler at Kunming Dounan Flower Market

Huang Yongfu, Guangzhou Huihuang Flowers

Other cut flowers: Anthurium and tropical orchids prices climb

In the off-season for sales, apart from cut cymbidium and Phalaenopsis, which performed ordinarily, prices of Oncidium, anthurium and Dendrobium rose to varying degrees.

In July, cut cymbidium and Phalaenopsis supply in the Beijing market was intermittent and very unstable. Green cymbidium was seventy or eighty yuan per stem wholesale, and Phalaenopsis cut flowers were 30 to 60 yuan per bunch wholesale. Compared with the same period in previous years, the wholesale prices of anthurium, Oncidium and Dendrobium all increased somewhat. This summer, demand for anthurium increased, and the wholesale price rose from two or three yuan per stem last year to 3 to 5 yuan, among which good-quality products could have a spathe diameter of up to 10 cm. Grade A Oncidium was 30 yuan per pack, Grade B products 25 yuan per pack, and Grade C 18 to 20 yuan per pack, with stem length of fifty or sixty cm. The unrest in Thailand in the first half of the year also affected its flower industry. The export transport of Thai-produced Dendrobium was blocked, causing products that in previous years had a wholesale price of 10 yuan per pack in the Beijing market to now sell for 13 to 15 yuan, and they sold relatively well.

Heavy rainfall in Guangdong damaged chrysanthemum production, so chrysanthemum prices in the Guangzhou market continued the high prices of June. White and yellow chrysanthemums had a wholesale price of six or seven yuan per bunch, and small chrysanthemums 2.5 yuan per bunch. Because Oncidium flower volume was relatively small in July, the wholesale price on the market was relatively high: Grade A products 35 to 40 yuan per pack, Grade B products 25 to 30 yuan per pack, and Grade C about 20 yuan per pack. Similar to the Beijing market, because Thai exports were restricted, Dendrobium was also relatively scarce in the Guangzhou market, with a wholesale price of 20 yuan per pack. Affected by excessively high temperatures, there was currently no gladiolus available on the market. In addition, entering the off-season for sales, cut anthurium prices declined somewhat, but were still somewhat higher than the same period last year. The main reason was that cut anthurium production in Hainan, Guangdong and other regions declined due to typhoon impact. High-quality products rose from about 3 yuan last year to 5 yuan wholesale, and ordinary-quality products could still sell for three or four yuan per stem wholesale. Other colored anthurium types had a wholesale price of about 10 yuan per stem.

In the Kunming market, the prices of cut flowers such as anthurium and Oncidium were generally higher than in previous years. Anthurium that sold for one or two yuan per stem in previous years had a wholesale price of three or four yuan this year. Green anthurium and pink anthurium also performed well, among which green anthurium had a wholesale price of seven or eight yuan per stem, and pink anthurium four or five yuan per stem. Oncidium and gladiolus also had relatively high prices year-on-year due to relatively small market volume. Oncidium had a wholesale price of 35 to 45 yuan per pack. Ordinary-quality gladiolus had a wholesale price of about 0.7 yuan per stem, while good-quality products could sell for 1.3 yuan per stem. Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis and cut cymbidium could currently rarely be seen on the market.

Commentator: Yao Jiayong, Beijing Laitai fresh cut flower wholesaler

Li Qimeng, wholesaler at Kunming Dounan Flower Market; Huang Yongfu, Guangzhou Huihuang Flowers